1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and an image capturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a digital camera includes various sensors and these sensors are getting larger and larger. These sensors include sensors for AF (Auto Focus). Also, the number of pixels of a digital camera is getting higher and higher. Therefore, a consumed power of a digital camera is getting higher and higher.
On the other hand, it is desirable to downsize a digital camera and to achieve weight saving. To effectively downsize and save weight in a digital camera, a battery of a digital camera is required to be downsized. A capacity of the battery is therefore getting smaller due to downsizing of the battery. The number of images available to be captured then gets smaller because a capacity of the battery is getting smaller. A reduction in the number of captured images is undesirable.
As an example of a technique to reduce consumed power, when a digital camera is not operated for more than a predetermined time, the digital camera can turn off a sensor or a display. But in a case a sensor is not constantly running for power saving, it becomes possible to miss a shutter chance because even after the sensor is activated the digital camera may perform an autofocus (AF) operation, which may cause missing the shutter chance.
Also, to speedily capture an image, in a case a camera is set to a speedy capturing mode, an imaging apparatus that prohibits performing an early phase driving of lens is disclosed (for example, see Japanese Publication No. 2003-140216). Such an imaging apparatus, when going into a waiting mode, does not perform a storing operation of the lens with keeping with the speedy capturing mode. Such an imaging apparatus, when a power source is turned on, does not perform the early phase driving of lens with keeping with the speedy capturing mode. Because such an imaging apparatus still needs time for getting started for operating a sensor and providing electric power for an AF operation, that imaging apparatus has a problem in not balancing a reduction of consumed power and still allowing a speedy capturing operation.